Changing Lives and Creating Futures
by N Harmonic
Summary: Summary: Everyone showed up at his funeral. Of course they did… Iruka was the stepping stone in all of their lives; without him, they'd be nothing. Iruka created something, a future, and change many things; their lives. Rookie12/Iruka/Sensei


**Changing Lives, Creating Futures**

 **Summary: Everyone showed up at his funeral. Of course they did… Iruka was the stepping stone in all of their lives; without him, they'd be nothing. Iruka created something, a future, and change many things; their lives. Rookie12/Iruka/Sensei**

 **AN: Teachers impact lives every day; sometimes in a bad way, sometimes in a good way. You see a teacher more than you see your families and those teachers create futures and change lives, if they wish. Iruka impacted all he spoke to. He most definitely changed lives and created futures; especially for those who thought they deserved much less. Maybe I'm putting too much thought into it, but Iruka is one of those anime characters I look up too; like Marco and Pops, and Jiraiya and Itachi… (I have epic role-models)**

 **Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! Not Naruto, nor the quotes I will be using which I will cite to the best of my abilities. I know writing an author's name pauses the flow in reading but I don't want any trouble. Anyways, please enjoy**

 _Flashbacks_

 _(Names) - people who spoke the quote if one was found, no name means unknown, seriously, I own nothing..._

 **~?~?~?~**

It was raining that day, ironic, given the happy personality of the man they were all gathered for, though not surprising given the emotions of all the people there. The entire ninja populus, with some civilians, were all dressed in black, mourning the loss of one Iruka Umino. One, as in one of a kind, for there will never be a replacement for teacher who had changed the lives of so many. For the man who had died, saving over fifty students against a rogue-nin, giving his life away for the future.

Kakashi, one of Iruka's closest friends, walked towards the podium, solemn and silent. "To tell you the truth," Kakashi began, water dripping down his hair onto his face, "I was going to skip out on this; then I decided Iruka deserved better than that."

Nobody looked at Kakashi, all too busy mourning. "I think we can all recall a moment in our lives where Iruka was holding us up," Kakashi said, looking to the crying sky.

 _Kakashi stared at the Memorial Stone, his eyes on Obito's name; his thoughts too jumbled to be anywhere. Kakashi didn't even look up when he heard footsteps behind him; everyone left when they saw him there. Surprisingly, they didn't leave._

 _"I didn't know Obito-san well," the voice said calmly, "I remember him because he had come to class crying one day; a close uncle of his had died on a mission."_

 _Kakashi glanced over when the voice was beside him; it was Iruka. Iruka didn't look at the copy-nin, but rather at the stone, finding the name his parents._

 _"I had asked him if he was alright," Iruka said, then chuckled, "He had slapped himself before saying that he was fine. That his uncle would rather him live happy with no regrets than with guilt."_

 _Iruka finally looked at Kakashi, who was looking at him as well. "I think he'd want you to be happy as well Hatake-san," he said, smiling._

 _Kakashi looked at from Iruka, looking back at the stone. "...Kakashi…" he finally said._

 _Iruka paused, tilting his head. "Hm?" he asked._

 _Kakashi still didn't look at him. "Call me Kakashi, not Hatake-san… We're friends aren't we?" he glanced over._

 _Iruka beamed. "Yea," he said, "Yea, we are."_

In the front was the Rookie 8, with Team Gai, all staring at the ground, all upset by the turn of events. All upset, yet accepting; they knew that if Iruka was going to die it would be for the future of this village, through the children. Naruto looked to the sky, his hitai-ate clenched in his fist; acceptance wasn't happiness.

 _"Naruto why aren't you doing the homework?" Iruka asked the six year old, sitting next to him with a sigh._

 _Naruto's frown deepened, and looked at the desktop with a pout. He mumbled something quietly._

 _Iruka leaned closer. "What was that?" he asked._

 _Naruto tensed. "I can't read or write," he muttered._

 _Iruka paused in surprise. "What?" he asked._

 _Naruto sneered. "No one taught me," he said, "I don't know how."_

 _Iruka mentally cursed at the villagers, spitting on the orphanage matriarch, and even berating the Hokage. Why couldn't they see? Why did they look at Naruto and see a demon, when all he saw was a young boy, with a thirst to learn? Iruka sighed, shaking his head and Naruto tensed, thinking he'd be punished._

 _Iruka leaned back in his seat. "Pull out a pencil and some paper," he told the blonde._

 _Naruto looked at him in surprise. "Huh?" he asked._

 _Iruka sighed again, scratching his head. "A good ninja can read his own mission scrolls," he said, then grinned at Naruto. "I guess I'll have to teach you how to."_

 _Naruto's eyes widened. "Really?" he breathed in awe._

 _Iruka nodded. "Especially considering I'll probably be the one to file away your mission reports," he sighed. "Now let's get started."_

 _"Ok sensei!"_

Sakura sniffed, her shoulders jumping as she cried for the man who had given her everything. In the academy, just as she was going to quit and remain a civilian, he had given her the strength to continue. She was a ninja of the village Konohagakure no Sato, and it was all because of her sensei.

 _"You're dropping out?" Iruka asked in surprise._

 _Sakura held so much potential; Iruka could see it. Passed the fangirling nature for the last Uchiha, Sakura had determination behind those green eyes. A determination Iruka didn't see very often._

 _Sakura nodded, clearly disheartened. "I never should of tried," she said quietly, looking at the ground, "I'm a civilian amount clan heirs; I never had a chance…"_

 _Iruka sighed sadly, before standing. "Come with me Sakura-chan," he said._

 _The girl looked up in surprise. "Come?" she asked curiously, and followed the man. "Where to?"_

 _"Just a short trip," Iruka assured._

 _That short trip turned out to be a long hike; up the Hokage mountain. By the time they reached the top, Iruka was smiling, refreshed from the exercise. Sakura wasn't as happy, panting tiredly from her perch on Iruka's back. Iruka smiled at the seven year old._

 _"We're here Sakura-chan," he said, putting her down._

 _"Where is here?" she asked, panting._

 _Iruka walked forward, gesturing for her to follow. They walked over a final hill and Sakura gasped in awe. There was a tree, it was thin and small, but it was sturdy, bearing flower buds and wildlife as well. Sakura and Iruka walked to it and Iruka crouched down, pointing to the trees roots._

 _"This tree," he said, "Began as a little seed, living in the cracks of the mountain; where nothing can live. It took everything this little seed had to be a tree; now look at it."_

 _Sakura looked up at the tree in awe and Iruka smiled. "It isn't easy to become a ninja," he said, "There's a lot of hard work, and a lot of elements going against you."_

 _Sakura looked at her teacher. "But when you finally reach your goals," he said, "You can be higher than the sky."_

 _Sakura frowned shyly. "Can I be a ninja Iruka-sensei?" she asked quietly._

 _Iruka smiled. "You can be anything you want to be," he said sincerely. "All you have to do is be willing to work for it."_

Akamaru whined sadly, sitting shoulder to shoulder by his partner Kiba. Kiba bit his lip, trying to wake himself from a genjutsu he knew wasn't there. Back then, Kiba thought he knew what strength was; Iruka taught him what it really was.

 _Kiba wasn't paying attention in class that day, his thoughts were everywhere; grievance, anger, worry, fear. Papa had died last night, along with his ninken, Midorimaru, on their mission in Iwa. Mama was leading the pack now, and now, he had to be the man of the house. Being the man means, no crying… or being sad… or showing anything…_

 _"Kiba-kun."_

 _Kiba jumped, looking around and up in surprise. The classroom was empty; Iruka was looking at with a sad expression. "It's lunch time," Iruka said gently._

 _"Oh," Kiba muttered, and got up, grabbing his bag._

 _"You're allowed to be sad, Kiba-kun," Iruka said._

 _Kiba bit his lip, the pain holding back his tears. "No I can't," he said, "I'm the man now. I have to be tough or everyone will feel worse. I'm the rock of the clan now."_

 _Iruka crouched down, taking the boy's shoulders in his arms. "That isn't true," he said, "You may be the man now, but the strongest man isn't strong because he doesn't cry, but because he has to strength to shed tears."_

 _Kiba's eyes widened, and against his will, tears pooled in his eyes. Kiba's whined, shutting his eyes tight as tears ran down his cheeks, down the marks his father had given him. Iruka said nothing, taking the boy into his arms and hugging him tight._

 _"Cry Kiba-kun," Iruka whispered, "Cry and feel better."_

Hinata shifted closer to Naruto, crying, but allowing the blonde to cry on her. Iruka was a close family friend of the Hyuuga; the only academy teacher the Hyuuga actually approved of. Because of Iruka, the Hyuuga clan was closer than ever to removing the seal from the branch members. Iruka was a stepping stone that made her the clan heiress she was.

 _"Hinata-chan?"_

 _Hinata slowly opened her eyes, looking to the door in surprise. "Iruka-sensei?" she whispered._

 _Iruka smiled, walking into the hospital room, a vase of purple iris in his hand. He put the vase on the bare nightstand near her bed before sitting down._

 _"You did very well Hinata-chan," he said sincerely._

 _Hinata looked away. "How could you know?" she asked, then flinched from pain. "You weren't there."_

 _Iruka smiled. "I know because you were my precious student," he said, "I know you can do anything."_

 _Hinata glanced at him. "Neji-nii-san is a branch member," she said unwillingly, "The clan sees me as a disgrace for being defeated by him… It's likely I will be marked and Hanabi-nee-chan will become the heiress…"_

 _She looked away and Iruka frowned softly. "Do you have any regrets?" he finally asked._

 _Hinata looked at him in surprise. "Regrets?" she asked._

 _Iruka smiled. "Do you regret losing? Or losing your title? Do you regret not using that curse to defeat your cousin?" he asked._

 _"Of course not!" Hinata said, then flinched and held her chest from the strain. "I could never hurt Neji-nii-san, or anyone from the Hyuuga branch family… And while I won't miss being the clan heiress… My only regret is that I'll never be able to help the branch family become free…"_

 _"Never say never," Iruka chastised gently. "You can do anything."_

 _"I lost," Hinata repeated, not believing her teacher. "I'm in the hospital; I almost died…"_

 _Iruka smiled. "The nicest people often get the hardest lives," he said, "Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny." (C.S. Lewis)_

 _Hinata's eyes widened. "Me?" she asked, pointing to herself._

 _Iruka chuckled. "You," he agreed, nodding._

Shino was as silent as ever, even his bugs were silent as he stood there, staring into space, thinking of the man who had died. Iruka saw the good in everyone and everything; he never judged anyone and accepted everything for what they were. The Aburame, Shino included, loved Iruka, for the young man understood the Aburame and their bugs better than anyone else in the village.

 _"Bye Iruka-sensei!" "Bye!" "Seeya tomorrow!"_

 _Shino slowly followed his happy classmates, keeping his distance so he'd wouldn't have a confrontation. The curse of his clan was strong within the classroom; the curse of being different, yet too useful to throw away. The curse of only loving oneself and protecting oneself._

 _"I apologize Shino-kun," Shino turned in surprise to his teacher. "I'll speak to them tomorrow."_

 _"Their reaction is normal Iruka-sensei," Shino said blandly, glancing at a spider in the window sill. A black widow._

 _"Not if you want to end the cycle," Iruka said and Shino gave him a 'questioning' look. "Parents pass onto their children their very beliefs and values; including their hates and fears. A teacher can teach them the truth."_

 _"What truth sensei?" Shino asked, "There is no truth; my clan is different from others. Our partners aren't friendly looking like the Inuzuka, or cool-looking like the Sarutobi."_

 _"No, it's different," Iruka agreed with a smile. "But the Aburame are strong. After all, the biggest challenge in life is to be yourself in a world that is trying to make you like everyone else."_

 _"Being alike would be easier," Shino noted, "No one would have a reason to hurt anyone else with their words."_

 _"Being different isn't a bad thing Shino-kun," Iruka said, "It's like I told your cousin last year, 'Being different means you're brave enough to be yourself'. Remember that Shino-kun."_

 _Shino titled his head. "Yes sensei," he said simply._

Ino tilted her head to the sky, the rain falling into her hair, making it look like a yellow waterfall of despair. Once upon a time, her stomach was too flabby, her hips too broad, her cleavage too small. Once upon a time, a good friend, her teacher, told her that beauty wasn't to be deciphered by the physical eye, but by the inner eye.

 _"Ino-chan?" Iruka asked in surprise. "Why aren't you eating lunch?"_

 _Ino gave him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding sensei?" she asked, "I can't eat lunch! I have to lose more weight if I want Sasuke-kun to notice me!"_

 _Iruka sighed, shaking his head. It would seem that most kunoichi to be were corrupted by a boy of all things; losing their ambitions before the 'might' of a handsome face. Ino was a clan heiress, and, before she met Sasuke, was a great friend that Sakura had severely needed. Now, she was another who fell to her knees for the last Uchiha._

 _Iruka walked towards the blonde, crouching to be level with her. "Ino-chan, you have no one to impress but yourself," he said, "Do you really think you should change yourself to conform to the wishes of a boy who doesn't even look at you."_

 _Ino flinched and looked away; she didn't want to admit it but she knew her teacher was right._

 _Iruka smiled gently. "Why are you becoming a ninja Ino-chan?" he asked her._

 _Ino looked at him in surprise. "Why?" she repeated._

 _Iruka chuckled. "Surely not for Sasuke-kun," he said, "So why are you going through all of this training to become a kunoichi."_

 _Ino titled her head with a frown, "My clan…" she said, then gained a determined look. "My clan needs a strong leader they can look up to. Mama can't have anymore kids so that's me."_

 _Iruka nodded with a smile. "So why should you care what anyone but yourself thinks?" he asked._

 _Ino flinched. "I need to beautiful sensei," she said quietly. "The world is cruel; this is all I have…"_

 _Iruka smiled. "Ino-chan, you must remember," he said, "You are braver than you believe; stronger than you seem; smarter than you think; and twice as beautiful as you'd ever imagined."_

 _Ino was looking at him with wide eyes. "You really mean that sensei?" she asked._

 _Iruka chuckled. "Yes Ino-chan, I do," he said, "The only judge of you is yourself and the only limiter on your abilities is yourself. You will become a great clan leader, and an even greater Yamanaka."_

 _Ino smiled shyly. "Thank you sensei," she said._

Shikamaru tilted his head, his eyes dry as he shed so many tears already for his second teacher. The world was so boring, barely worth living in if killing himself wasn't such a drag. So few people made his life… exciting… Naruto and Temari were on that list; but Iruka took the cake.

 _"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, moving his piece in the direction he had predicted._

 _Iruka chuckled. "I know you'll win," he said, "I apologize Shikamaru-san."_

 _Shikamaru glanced at his teacher, the man who treated him like an adult rather than a kid. "Don't worry about it," he said, "I appreciate you teaching me to play… even if it is a drag now."_

 _"I hear you haven't beaten your father," Iruka noted._

 _Shikamaru grimaced. "Troublesome," he muttered in reply, moving his piece._

 _Iruka chuckled. "Have you made a decision on your life Shikamaru-san?" he asked, "What you will be doing after the academy?"_

 _"Too boring," Shikamaru replied, "This world is such a drag; I'd rather not plan my future."_

 _"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow," Iruka said dryly, moving his piece, then he gave Shikamaru an impish grin. "Only boring people get bored."_

 _Shikamaru sighed, "Whatever," he said, not disagreeing. "What does is matter? This world is too much of a drag to put in an effort."_

 _Iruka sighed, frowning at the Nara heir. "Everyone is a leaf," he said, "But somewhere among those leaves, there is a blooming flower. Some day you'll find that flower, and a reason to live will fill you."_

 _Shikamaru sighed, "Romance?" he asked dryly._

 _Iruka chuckled. "Not necessarily," he disagreed. "Just a friend."_

 _Shikamaru glanced over. "A friend?" he replied._

 _Iruka gained a mischievous look. "I think I know the perfect blonde," he said, "You'll be going to school together soon."_

Choji bit his lip, sniffling as his emotions, as usual, took over him and he cried for the man who made him love himself. Bullying can cause people to hate themselves, to wish they were never born, or to have been born in another life. Choji remembered a time where he had rather not been an Akimichi, he also remembers the man who told him to love himself.

 _Choji sniffed, wiping his tears as he hid behind the academy, silently whimpering by himself. Why were they so mean to him? Why did they say those things to him? Fat? Chubby? Puffy? He was all of those things but so were his clan members! ...Was that bad?... Was he a freak?_

 _"I wish I hadn't been born an Akimichi," Choji whimpered, wiping his face._

 _"What a waste."_

 _Choji jumped in fear, thinking it was his tormentors, and he turned only to pause. "Iruka-sensei?" he asked._

 _Iruka smiled sadly, before offering a handkerchief from his vest. Sniffling, Choji wiped his face, looking down in shame. Iruka-sensei had heard him say he'd wished he hadn't been born in his own clan! If Iruka-sensei told someone then he'd get in trouble! Papa would be mad!_

 _"Don't tell," Choji whimpered, his eyes scrunching closed._

 _Iruka sighed sadly, crouching down; children were so cruel. "Did you hear what I said before?" he asked gently, looking at the child._

 _Choji looked at him curiously, shaking his head. "What?" he asked._

 _Iruka smiled, "I said what a waste," he repeated, "What a waste to the person you are and yet wish you were someone else."_

 _Choji tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he asked._

 _Iruka chuckled. "You are an amazing person Choji-kun," he said, "It would be a waste for you to wish it all away."_

 _Choji looked away. "I'm fat," he said quietly, "Everyone says it."_

 _"What about Shikamaru-san?" Iruka asked._

 _Choji looked at him in surprise. "Shika?" he asked._

 _Iruka smiled. "What does Shikamaru have to say about you and your clan?" he asked._

 _Choji hesitated. "Shika… Shika says… I shouldn't care about what others think," he said, "That I'm a… flower?... among leaves…? I don't really get it," he confessed._

 _Iruka chuckled. "It means you're special," he said, "That your are better than those around you because you are yourself, and no one else."_

 _"Am I really special?" Choji asked, not really believing,_

 _"Beyond special," Iruka swore._

Lee gripped Tenten's hand tightly, barely restraining his grip as to not break her bones. No one believed in him. He was destined to fail the moment he was born. He would never account to anything. He would never be a ninja.

 _"You can be anything Lee," Iruka said. "Ninjutsu, genjutsu; those are only a flaunt of power. The real magic of being a ninja is using your body to the best of it's abilities to defend your village."_

 _Lee frowned. "...You really think so sensei?" he asked. "A ninja without jutsu?"_

 _"You'll have jutsu," Iruka swore, "Just not those two."_

 _Lee tilted his head. "...Tai… jutsu?" he finally asked._

 _Iruka nodded firmly. "And I know the perfect mentor for you Lee," he said._

Tenten squeezed back, even tighter than her nut of a teammate, the leather of her gloves creaking. Tenten had had a large pair of shoes to fill. Not because she had many generations before her but because her own generation was filled with weaklings. She hadn't known how, until she got an idea, from a good friend.

 _"Iruka-sensei," Tenten said, eyes determined. "I want to be a great kunoichi!"_

 _Iruka smiled. "You're on your way," he told her sincerely, "I already know it, you will be a great ninja."_

 _"No one will take me seriously!" Tenten shouted. "I know I can be great! But everyone in class is a fangirl," she said with disdain._

 _Iruka chuckled, turning in his chair to face her. "That is quite the predicament," he agreed._

 _Tenten pouted. "What can I do to be a step ahead of them? To prove myself," she asked._

 _Iruka smiled. "Only you can answer that," he said._

 _Tenten frowned. "Not even a hint?" she begged._

 _Iruka leaned back in his seat. "Well," he said in thought, "What do you wish to major in? What aspect of being a ninja?"_

 _"I don't know," Tenten huffed, "My chakra pools are really small compared to the boys. I can't do ninjutsu for very long and genjutsu is boring but taijutsu is too much exercise for my body type."_

 _Iruka nodded, pulling out a kunai, "I agree with your assessment," he said, twirling the weapon in his fingers, "But what else is a ninja capable of?"_

 _Tenten's frown deepened, watching the weapon swirl. She gasped. "I got an idea!" she announced._

 _Iruka smiled. "Is that right?" he asked, stopping his fiddling._

 _"Fuuinjutsu!" Tenten said._

 _"Summoning?" Iruka repeated. "Of what? Animals?"_

 _"Nu-uh!" Tenten shook her head. "Weapons! I'm going to be a weapons mistress!"_

 _Iruka nodded. "I won't stand in your way," he smiled._

Neji look to the stone, where his name would be carved, where it would be forgotten. Destiny and fate were such fickle things, not as concrete as he had so hopelessly latched onto. Life in general, was so fickle. One moment, you're alive and fighting, the next, you're being cremated and buried.

 _"Where do our lives end, Neji-kun?"_

 _Neji looked up from his scroll, his face blank. "What do you mean Iruka-sensei?" he asked._

 _Iruka sat down in the grass next to the Hyuuga. "When do our lives end?" he repeated, "When does fate or destiny, decide that our lives are over and that we should die?"_

 _Neji tilted his head. "...I don't understand, sensei," he said._

 _Iruka chuckled, nodding. "My apologies Neji-kun," he said, "I shouldn't have asked such a completed question. After all, who can guess death?"_

 _Neji was silent. "What does it matter?" he finally asked, "The main family will decide my fate. I have no freedom among them."_

 _Iruka tilted his head. "Nothing is forever Neji-kun," he said, "When everything- life, an enemy, the Hyuuga; seems to be against you, just remember, that a bird, free or caged, takes off against the wind, not with it." (paraphrased, Henry Ford)_

Kurenai looked to her stomach, rubbing her baby bump as she thought about all those she had lost. Gai's usually happy face was grim, thinking of the future that would be sad without such a bright teacher to lead the future. The other jounin were standing nearby, thinking of the man who was no longer with them. Thinking about the lives that would not be changed, for the better, and about the futures that would not be created.

 _"How to be a genin sensei?" Kurenai asked, looking at the flyer._

 _Asuma laughed. "He's doing that again?" he wondered, looking over her shoulder._

 _"He?" Gai asked, appearing near them._

 _"Iruka-kun?" Kakashi wondered._

 _"I'm lost," Kurenai admitted in frustration._

 _Asuma chuckled. "Ever since three years ago, when a new sensei mentally traumatized a student," he began, "Iruka Umino, an academy teacher, began to give 'lessons' on to how to be a genin teacher."_

 _"Really?" Kurenai asked incredulously._

 _Kakashi shrugged. "They're useful," he conceded._

 _"Iruka-kun is a youthful example to be followed!" Gai exclaimed._

 _Kurenai looked at her not-boyfriend. "Do you take them?" she asked curiously._

 _Asuma nodded. "I have," he said, "I would recommend them too. Iruka-sensei has a lot of useful knowledge to share."_

 _"If it weren't for him," Kakashi noted, "I'd of probably traumatized my own students ten times over."_

 _"I have learned much as well," Gai agreed, "Though I would never traumatize my cute genin."_

 _The other three sweatdropped. "So naive," they all thought._

 _"Kakashi!"_

 _Kakashi smiled, "That's my cue," he said, before dashing to the roofs._

 _Suddenly Iruka was among them. "Dammit," he cursed, "Where's your mission report Kakashi!"_

 _"Half-fast it as usual sensei?" Asuma chuckled._

 _Iruka sighed, rolling his eyes. "As usual," he agreed, then noticed Kurenai shocked eyes. "What is it?"_

 _Kurenai jolted. "Hello," she said, "I am a new jounin."_

 _"There are no new ninja," Iruka disagreed, "Just a different title… Will you be taking my classes this year?"_

 _Kurenai swallowed and nodded. Iruka smiled. "I look forward to teaching you the art of a child," he said, before his face changed and he shot onto the roof._

 _"Get back here and take it like a man Kakashi!"_

A distant away, hidden in a tree overlooking the funeral, Sasuke looked on, his sharingan activated as he watched. Iruka was something else, a weakness, but a willing weakness. If it had been Iruka who had come to retrieve him so long ago, after the attack on Konoha; Sasuke couldn't say he wouldn't have returned.

 _"Why?" Sasuke asked, not looking at the scarred teacher._

 _Iruka looked up from his grading. "Sasuke-kun?" he asked._

 _Sasuke still didn't look at him, "Ever since… that day… everyone has fallen at my feet. Apologizing, praising, ignoring me; I've seen it all… So why aren't you like that?"_

 _Iruka chuckled. "Is that how you wish to be treated?" he asked._

 _Sasuke quickly turned to face him. "No!" he said, "I want things to go back to the way they were but I know that impossible," he looked down. "Nothing is right anymore… Everyone is suddenly there for me, but you… you act like it never happened…"_

 _Iruka stood before crouching in front of Sasuke; looking at the last Uchiha seriously. "No, I know it happened; and I know what it is like to have everyone or no one," he said, then smiled, "You don't need to be helped any longer. You've always had the power Sasuke-kun."_

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head. "You're all probably surprised that I'm speaking on his behalf," he said, "but Iruka was my friend. He changed my life in so many ways, and let me use him as a stepping stone to create a new future for myself, as I'm sure he did for most of you…"

Kakashi looked to the picture of the teacher on display; he was smiling so brightly, without a care in the world. Why did he get attached, he silently wondered. The living expectancy for a ninja was only thirty years of age. Perhaps because Iruka was a stay-in ninja, someone who never left the village. Maybe Kakashi had been too hopeful that the man wouldn't die.

"He told me something one," Kakashi finally said. "Don't cry because it's over… Rather, smile because it happened…" (Dr. Suess).

Kakashi gave an eye smile. "I'm sad," he said sincerely, "But I can't help but smile because this is the only memory I'll ever have with Iruka that could make me sad."

"For some of us," Kakashi said, "We were so low to the ground, that we knew, we had nothing to give or to receive. Iruka made us feel like something, when we knew, at the bottom, we weren't." (Rita Pierson)

"Let's show Iruka that what he's done for us wasn't in vain," Kakashi said, "Let the village rise to the highest peak it has ever reached, and then excell above it."

Kakashi gestured to the picture. "To Iruka," he said.

"To Iruka!" was echoed by all.

 **End.**

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 **I'm sorry, I don't know why Iruka had to be dead to tell this story… He wasn't going to be originally but that's kinda where it went without my consent. Sometimes to create a great story, you just have to let the words flow and fall onto the paper where they may. As sad as it is, it's been some time since I've written a story this long too; I'm kinda proud of myself, as I should be. It's not everyday I have the time to type this much.**

 **I wanted to do more with the moments outside of class but I just couldn't seem to get to them. After all, you really do have more midlife crises in school than in your mid-30's/40's. I also know that Iruka didn't teach Team Gai but it would've been weird with that fact…**

 **I'm really thinking of doing a story for those Genin-Sensei classes too… Should I do them all at once, or in different years, seeing as Kakashi and Asuma have presumably been sensei's for awhile. Maybe a yearly thing seeing as you can never stop learning. Yea, maybe I'll do the class where it's Kurenai's first year and then Iruka goes on to teach them everything they should know, while warning them… After all… these are twelves year olds with deadly weapons… I'm kinda excited… And scared….**

 **Anyways, if you liked it, as tragic as it was, please review.**

 **Til next time,**

 **Ja ne~!**


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